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Last Updated: 05 March 2017

The Mississippi Belle

The Mississippi Belle began as a Word-document newsletter, edited by Rick Kwissa, with contributions from the MLA Board. Editorially, it tackled issues common to all lake dwellers - water quality, shoreline planting, septic systems and taxation. In a 2006 article, Rick Kwissa offered two versions of the origin of "The Belle" One was a turn-of-the-Century steamer that plied the lake between Carleton Place and Innisville. The other was Rick's dog, Belle.

Under the stewardship of Ed Carew, The Mississippi Belle became a full-colour magazine with more articles, more authors and more advertisers. In 2015, we increased the circulation to 3,000 copies. It was hand-delivered, on the May long weekend, to 1,200 residences around the lake, the majority of which are now year-round homes. Roughly 1.800 copies were distributed across the Carleton Place-Beckwith area through our advertisers, at the Carleton Place Home Show and the Bridge Street Bazaar, professional offices, libraries and retailers.

In 2017, the Mississippi Belle made the transition from a printed magazine to a digital publication, which resides within the MLA web site. Instead of a once-a-year edition, the new digital Belle will be constantly updated and refreshed with new content, throughout the year. Instead of 3,000 copies, the Belle will have unlimited distribution, accessible by computer, tablet and smart phone, anywhere in the world.

Back issues of the Belle, from 2004 through 2016 are archived on this web site and can be accessed through the table below.